Teammates
by ScarlettSlaysSquids
Summary: Tom and Jordan are the only ones left on Trinity Island, and they have been tasked with killing the last two bosses in Minecraft. The only catchis that if someone dies, they are gone for good. Watch the pair grow closer as they work together and balance their differences, all while realizing they may feel the same way about each other. Rated T for Syndisparklez fluff.
1. Laying in the Sand

**Hello people! You may be sitting here and thinking, "SCARLETT WHY YOU NO UPDATE HIS DEMONS AND JUST START NEW SERIES OMG I HATE U!1!11" To that I would calmly respond, "Rude."and then not update just to spite you. But for real, I've made the mistake of taking on a side project. I got a story idea in my head and I could not focus on anything His Demons related whatsoever until I wrote this darn fluff.  
**

**You heard me, fluff. Scarlett is writing fluff.**

**This does not mean I will discontinue His Demons. Although I have little interest to work on it right now, I had a plot set up and just a few things that needed to be worked out before I could continue writing. I made a promise I would never publish a story I couldn't finish, so at some point I intend to finish that sequel. But until then, we have Teammates. I intend for it to be around 10-15 chapters long.**

If you're just here because it said Syndisparklez you can skip the first couple of paragraphs:

**So I like to do challenges in my stories, and this one is really going to screw me over. I am going to write in 3rd person omniscient. For those of you who aren;t aware, 3rd person omniscient is when the narrator hears the thoughts, feelings, actions, etc. of all characters. It's great for telling a budding romance between two individuals, but it makes reading what I've written very confusing if not done properly. If you could, let me know whether this writing style is easy to follow or not. If everyone dislikes it I may just edit the first chapter and change the POV for the whole story.  
**

**Anyways, now that I've rambled. I now present to you... Teammates!**

_It was done. They had killed the two Guardians with ease, proving that they had worried about nothing. All that was left to do was to get the gold, kill as many mobs as possible, and get out. It shouldn't have been difficult. But oh, it was._

_Jordan__ turned to the girl on his right. "Could you go get us some milk from the cows on the island? Here's some buckets."_

_She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Of course I'll do all the real work, you two just go back to your sword fights and action." She swam out the tiny hole they had created earlier, a monster zapping her as she exited. _

_Jordan swam over to the other man, laughing as he absentmindedly placed down the sponge they had recovered. "Tom!" He giggled. "Pick that up." _

_"Guys, there's a lot of mobs here. I don't know if I'll be okay." Sonja called to the others._

_Jordan playfully shoved Tom and picked up the sponge, his attention barely on his other teammate. "Relax!" He called out. "You'll be fine."_

_"Guys..." She trailed off, but Jordan could hear the sounds of the battle. his eyes widened as he realized she was struggling._

_"Sonja?" he called out, swimming as fast as he could._

_"Four hearts-"_

_"Sonja, hang in there!" He told her, urging himself to swim faster. Why couldn't he have gotten depth-strider? The water was holding him back, preventing him from helping- he turned the corner and his eyes widened as he saw her fighting. She looked at him one last time before a creature delivered the final blow to her back, scattering her loot all over the floor and sending her soul somewhere far from where Jordan stood._

* * *

Jordan gasped for air as his body was carelessly tossed to the sandy shore. He sputtered and coughed as he inhaled grains of sand, his chest tightening from the unpleasant feeling. Salty waves crashed down upon the land and pooled at his feet, only making his already soaking clothes even more wet. The cool, sharp air of night was starting to retract as the heavy, warm air of daytime sunk in. Jordan groaned and rolled onto his back, feeling around cluelessly for his sword. His fingertips brushed the delicate blade and he moved them downwards to grasp the handle. Feeling no motivation to move any further, he blinked rapidly and adjusted his eyes to look up at the sky.

The sun was just beginning to rise in front of him. That meant he was facing east. Though Jordan couldn't quite process much of what was happening to him right now, he knew he needed to gather as much information about his new surroundings as possible. He would have to find his way back home whenever he gained the energy to stand up. That in itself seemed like a daunting task, he was finding. Jordan wished he could just lie there forever, looking at the sun-

"Sparkles? Sparkleypants?" A desperate voice called out from further down the island. Jordan had nearly forgotten there were people with him.

"I'm right over here." He mumbled in response, just loud enough so he knew his companion could hear him.

"Thank god you're okay!" Out of the corner of his eye Jordan could see a green man approaching him. "I was worried the waves got you. Did Sonja-"

"Yes." Jordan squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to block out recurring images of the event. He took a sharp breath in. "I saw it."

"Oh." The man said simply. He looked at his feet for a moment. "I guess it's just us now, right Sparkles?"

Jordan was too lost in thought to reply. His mind wouldn't stop replaying the events that had occurred earlier, and every item he looked at found a way to remind him of the horrifying tragedy. The waves that splashed innocently in front of him were the cruel waters that prevented him from saving her, the stone a reminder of the pillars that stood in the way when he reached out for her for the last time- he could go on and on with just about any item in the area. Even the dandelions gave him a stinging memory of her favorite rabbit. It hadn't been long after the accident, but Jordan had a feeling he'd never forget the things he had seen.

The sand shifted beside him as the green man sat down next to him. "You're really upset about this, aren't you?"

"Aren't we both?" Jordan asked.

"Well, of course." Tom shifted uncomfortably next to Jordan. "We can still save them, right? We just have to defeat the other two bosses and we're off this island for good."

"We don't even know if we're right about that." Jordan groaned. "We don't know what we're doing, and that's half the battle. What's the point?"

"Don't be so negative." Tom nudged Jordan's arm and rolled onto his side. "The note we spawned in with said that we had to defeat three bosses in order to 'restore the balance of the island' or something like that. We do that, and something good ought to happen to us. We'll get Sonja back, and Tucker too. "

"If you say so." Jordan said with a defeated tone.

"Don't you give up on me, Sparklypants. It's up to us to save this island!" He leapt to his feet and struck a superman pose. "Tom and Jordan, defenders of Trinity Island. Unite!"

"I don't know if I can get much done today, Tom. I just want to lay here in the sand and debate my existence." Jordan blindly drew patterns in the ground with the tip of his blade.

Tom frowned. "We can't just stop our lives because Sonja's gone. There's work to be done."

"I am working. Mentally." Jordan replied in an exasperated tone, his eyes shutting tightly as he pondered the different ways he could have approached the situation. He didn't have depth-strider, so that was out. Had Sonja asked for help before her death? Jordan slowly began remembering her saying there were a lot of mobs, but he had told her she would be fine. His face tightened, and he wished there was a way to go back in time and fix what he had done.

"Jordan?"

Jordan glanced up and saw a green hand being offered to him. Tom was staring down at him with a look of concern plastered on his face. Grudgingly, Jordan took the offer and was pulled to his feet, stumbling slightly from the uneven surface. "Thanks." He mumbled, his train of thought still lost somewhere else.

"Ready to go back? We have to get ready for the Enderdragon now." Tom said as he placed down the boats, urging Jordan to approach the shore.

The consequences of that task entered Jordan's mind and he stopped himself from walking forward. What if Tom died because of another one of Jordan's dumb mistakes? What if Jordan himself left Tom all alone? Then again, maybe Tom would be relieved if that happened. Jordan could never truly tell what Tom was thinking.

Tom watched as Jordan stopped and lost himself in thought. Sonja's death had affected him a lot more than Tom thought it would. Sure, Tom was upset, but he wasn't prepared to drop everything and waste away on the beach. Jordan, however...if Tom wasn't urging Jordan along, he probably would stay on the sand and get lost in his thoughts. Tom sighed. "Jordan."

Jordan blinked rapidly as he was pulled from his train of thought. "What? Oh, sorry."

"Ready, then?" Tom asked, motioning towards the boats. He honestly had no idea what they'd do when they got back, but they had to start somewhere.

"Sure." Jordan climbed into a boat beside Tom and pushed himself off of the island. He looked back in the direction of the Guardian temple and sighed, wishing there was another boat trailing behind him. "We'll get them back," He muttered to himself. "I'm sure we'll get them back."

**So, in case any of you are confused, this takes place around Episode 24 of Trinity Island just after Sonja died. Leave a review telling me if you like the story and writing style! I don't know how many of my regular readers actually watch Trinity Island/Mianite so this could go horribly wrong. Oh well.**

**~Scarlett**


	2. Debating the Meaning of Life

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter! It's the end of the quarter so I have a ton of tests :3 I wrote a lot though to make up for it!**

Tom arrived at the island first, crashing his boat onto the shore and stumbling out of the shallow waters. "Ha! I win the race!" He called back to the other, who was a mere speck in the distance. Tom rolled his eyes at his companion's tardiness and walked back onto the island they had left behind a couple of days ago. Exhausted, he flung open the doors to their small home and flopped onto the bed, his armor preventing him from relaxing as much as he wanted to.

He heard a small peep and looked in its direction. Sitting on the spare bed was Sonja's pet rabbit. "Hey, Moo." He said dully, his friend's disappearance once again dawning on him. He figured he would have to help watch this thing now; it wouldn't be right to just let Sonja's prized pet die because she was gone. He reached out and patted the animal on the head. "Do you miss her, too? I bet you do." The thing looked at him with a neutral expression, but Tom could've sworn he saw it wink.

"Tom? Why did you let Moo out?" Jordan grumbled from outside. The doors opened and he pushed in a black-and-white spotted rabbit.

"Where'd you get that thing?" Tom exclaimed. "Moo's right here, next to me."

Jordan frowned. "This is definitely Moo. Look, Moo has a spot on his back that looks like a flower. Does that rabbit have one?"

Tom looked at it and frowned when he saw that it didn't. "How did we manage to get two black-and-white rabbits in this house?"

Jordan shrugged. "Maybe one spawned inside here. Where was that one when you got here?"

"Sitting on Tucker's bed." Tom's face lit up as an idea occurred to him. "Jordan, don't you see? It's a reincarnation of Sonja in bunny form! That explains why it winked at me!"

Jordan chuckled lightly, his face showing that he did not believe a word Tom said. "It winked at you? Please tell me you didn't drink any saltwater, Tom."

"I'm not hallucinating!" Tom insisted. "This is real!"

Jordan rolled his eyes jokingly and started rummaging through chests. "So, what do we need to do now? You won't let me evaluate the meaning of life, so that's out."

"We're doing the Enderdragon next, right?" Jordan nodded in agreement. "I need Feather Falling before we do that."

"Right, enchantments are a must." Jordan pulled out some blaze powder. "Do we have enough enderpearls?"

"Only one." Tom said.

Jordan sighed. "That'll take a while. Unless...we can make a mob grinder. Good."

"I know what we need to do today." Tom announced.

"What would that be?"

"Make a grave for Sonja."

Jordan's face immediately dropped into a frown. "Oh. Alright...why don't you do that and I'll just stay in here?" He nervously fidgeted with a fermented spider eye.

"Don't you want to honor your friend?" Tom asked.

Jordan debated this in his mind. He did want to honor Sonja, but anything that emotional would put a tremendous amount of guilt on his shoulders. Not that he wasn't already feeling that. "Well, I suppose."

"Good. I'll get all the supplies, you just keep doing whatever it is you're doing."

Jordan sighed and placed all of his items back in a chest. How was Tom so unaffected by Sonja's death? Every second Jordan had left alone in his thoughts brought images of her eyes widening and her body exploding. It had practically engrained itself onto the back of his skull, leaving him horrified whenever he closed his eyes. He took a shaky breath and removed his helmet, slowly placing down each piece of armor in the chest. Tom would probably suggest combining some of Sonja's armor with their own in order to get better enchants, Jordan figured. The man would see no value in saving the pieces as a way to remember her. As Jordan opened their armor chest to place his possessions inside, he chuckled halfheartedly to himself. A nearly broken iron chestplate was sitting at the bottom, its presence a grim yet amusing reminder of the friend who had died to a creeper. This was why Jordan wanted to save armor; in a few days or weeks when he was through with grieving, he would be able to look back on this and smile.

Jordan suddenly frowned. Was he really having an argument with himself over something that hadn't happened yet? This was so stupid, _he _was so stupid...Why did he always have to take small, irrational thoughts and analyze them for a far longer time then they needed? Tom may not even try to take Sonja's stuff. Was it really that important, anyways? If they were right, they should be off this island after two more boss battles. That didn't leave them much time. Jordan only had to get through a few more days, and then he could go back. He'd be alright, he decided. And if he wouldn't- well, he'd fake it.

* * *

Tom gathered every yellow flower he could see. Sonja deserved the best, and he was prepared to provide it. He hoped that his companion would understand and appreciate the meaning behind the flowers. Tom figured Jordan was smart enough to get it, but he had seemed a little off today. Probably just upset about Sonja's death, he concluded. Hopefully the colorful grave would make him feel better. Besides, it wasn't like they weren't going to see her again. They would all be reunited when Jordan and Tom finished the last two bosses- if everything goes to plan, Tom reasoned, though he liked to be more optimistic than that- so it wasn't like she was gone forever. Jordan certainly was treating it like it was. Tom could only begin to imagine why the man was so emotional. He figured he would just stay out of it until Jordan reached out- recognizing feelings weren't his thing and he didn't know the first thing about cheering someone up in this kind of situation. For now all he could do was collect flowers and try to create a proper grave. He understood the principals of that, at least.

"Jordan!" A voice called from outside.

Jordan sighed and stood up from the bed. "I'll be out in a minute!"

"Late to our friend's funeral? How rude!" Tom called back. He looked at the finished grave with pride. He had made it look quite nice, he thought. He could only hope Sonja would've liked it.

"Dandelions?" Jordan asked as he walked over to Tom.

"Yeah. Because rabbits-"

"I got it." Jordan interrupted. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Someone's anxious." Tom muttered. "I suppose I'll make the speech?"

"Go ahead."

Tom nodded and looked at the gravestone. "Sonja Reid, a noble friend and a valuable companion. The island will never be the same without you and your rabbit friends always trying to escape the house. Your death was unexpected and cruel." Tom's face lit up as an idea popped into his head. "That is why we have decided to go back to your death place and and avenge you!" He proclaimed with pride.

"What?" Jordan choked out, his straight face cracking.

"We are going to sail back to that Guardian Temple and retrieve the gold we were unable to get from grief. We will kill anything and everything we see, and we will do it in your name. To Sonja; she may be gone, but she will never be forgotten!"

"Are you insane?" Jordan asked. "Go back there? You're asking for one of us to die!"

"Jordan, we have to do this." Tom said calmly, wondering why the other couldn't comprehend this simple fact. "Sonja would want us to."

"Sonja would want us to live, I'm pretty sure." Jordan retorted.

"We won't die." Tom insisted. "Last time it was because she didn't warn us about her state, but we'll have great communication."

"That is not why she died." Jordan said, his voice shaking.

"We are unstoppable! Together we will take down this guardian temple without losing a single heart!"

"I- I can't do this." Jordan stuttered. He sprinted back to the house and slammed the door shut.

"Jordan?" Tom asked. "What got into him..." He sighed and sat down on the ground, figuring he should give Jordan some space. His gaze rested upon Tucker and Sonja's tombstones. At least the two lovers were united, he thought to himself. Could they be with each other wherever they were? Maybe they were watching what was happening right now. If they were, Tom was certain Sonja would agree that they needed to go back to the temple. That gold could save someone's life in the future. If only Jordan could see that and stop worrying that they wouldn't be able to talk to each other...they did learn from mistakes, after all. Tom sighed once again and decided to go mining. The other needed some time alone, so he might as well be productive while allowing it.

Jordan stared at the wall in despair, his hands violently grasping the bed for some type of support. Tom seemed so oblivious out there, just going on his merry way and caving. He even suggested going back and getting gold. How could he face the place where their friend had died so easily? Jordan was positive that if he went into that hallway he would start reliving the events of yesterday. Tom, however, had made a full recovery in just one day. It couldn't be that he didn't care for Sonja- they all cared for each other, and Tom was the kind of person who would slay someone he didn't like if they weren't necessary for his survival. No, he definitely cared about the girl. Why was it that he had brushed off her death so easily? Jordan huffed and tightened his body.

"Jordan, I got us some more diamonds!" Tom called as he entered the house,his mood considerably good from the amount of diamonds he had gotten. He tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the sight of his companion. "And you sat there for the whole time I was gone?"

"I was thinking." Jordan replied.

"Well, thinking isn't going to get us OP gear!" Tom chirped. "C'mon, get up!"

"Can't I take a sick day?" Jordan muttered.

Tom gasped in mock surprise. "Jordan Maron, there are no sick days on Trinity Island! Do you see mobs taking the day off? They don't just go up to the mob bosses like 'oh, sorry boss, I've got a stomach ache today. Guess I won't be blowing up players.' They work 24/7!"

"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said."

"Did it make my point clear?" Tom asked. "We don't have time to rest. The sooner we defeat these two bosses, the sooner we get out of here."

"We don't even know if that's-"

"The note says so, Jordan!" Tom insisted. "We have to trust it. It's our only hope, right?"

Jordan took a shaky breath. "I don't like putting my faith in some anonymous author."

"You never had a problem with it before." Tom looked at the boy with the utmost curiosity. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I just- nothing." Jordan said. "We can't trust anyone, Tom. That's how you get killed."

"We can trust each other, right?"

Jordan inhaled sharply. "Trust got Sonja killed." He said slowly.

"What are you talking about? She died because we weren't talking to each other and staying together, not because-"

"No, she didn't." Jordan said firmly, allowing himself to grip the bed even more firmly than he thought he could. "She died because of me."

Tom looked at him with a puzzled expression and then laughed. "That's ridiculous! You can't possibly think you caused her death! Good one, Jordan, you got me laughing."

"You think this is a joke?" Jordan asked darkly. "She's dead because of me, and you're sitting here laughing."

"Dead because of you, ha! This is good stuff!" Tom breathed heavily and leaned against a wall for support.

"I can't believe you." Jordan muttered as he crawled into bed and pulled up the covers. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sounds of taunting laughter.

Tom stopped chuckling and looked at the man curiously. "What's wrong?"

Jordan groaned and rolled over to face away from his companion. "Now you care." He whispered into his blanket, quietly enough so he was talking only to himself and the pillow below his head.

"Jordan..." Tom frowned and sat down on the side of the bed. "Do you actually care that much?"

"Do I actually care?" Jordan scoffed. "Of course not. I just really like being traumatized and cuddling with the air in order to block out images of my friend's death. Great fun, you know?"

Tom looked at the lifeless pile of blankets talking to him with pity. "What happened yesterday, anyways?"

Jordan took a deep breath and poked his head out from underneath the comforter. "I asked her to go get us some milk, she warned me that she might not be able to get through the mobs, I elected to ignore her and continue talking to you, she lost a lot of health, I finally went to go help her but didn't get there in time, she died right before my eyes. That's all I remember."

"Oh." Tom said. "I can see why you'd feel slightly guilty-"

"I indirectly murdered our best friend." Jordan moaned and flung himself back under the covers.

"No, you didn't." Tom argued. "You did as much as you could."

"I ignored her!" Jordan's muffled voice protested through the sheets.

Tom bit his lip in frustration. "Jordan... Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" He asked softly, placing a gentle hand on Jordan's back.

"You didn't seem to care that she was gone."

Tom frowned. Was he really acting like that? He certainly did care that one of their best friends was dead- not to this extent, but he did care. "I care. I care quite a lot."

Jordan sat up and let the sheets fall around his waist. "You certainly aren't acting like it. How can you go back to her death place just one day later?"

Tom face lit up as realization set in. "You're afraid of going back to the Guardian temple?" He must've been traumatized by watching Sonja die. Tom thought he was just getting emotional over her being gone, not the fact that he watched it. "Jordan..." He motioned for the other to move over and pulled him into a hug. "If you aren't ready to go back, we won't."

"I'd prefer it if we didn't take on anything too difficult for a while." He admitted.

"Agreed." Tom separated the hug. "We're going to be okay, Jordan."

Jordan sighed, his mind unable to believe it.

**I have turned into a Syndisparklez obsessed fangirl and I know it**

**Tell me in the reviews how you feel about the story so far! I've been trying a new writing style plus 3rd person omniscient, so this is very different from what I normally write. **

**~Scarlett**


	3. A Shocking Realization

***casually updates a month later***

**I don't have any excuses I can give without a whole sob story...so...uh, sorry? I'll try to have next chapter out soon since it's half done :3**

It took all of Jordan's strength to leave the bed that afternoon. The sheets were so warm against his tired muscles, relaxing them to a point of utter bliss, but he knew he had to do it. For Tucker. For Sonja. For Tom.

A shiver went down his back as he stepped into the considerably cooler air of the home. He wasn't quite sure how much work he could accomplish for the remainder of the day, but he had to try. No matter how much guilt weighed him down, he knew he wouldn't get off this island by moping around and feeling sorry for himself. The least he could do was take small steps to start being productive again. The first step would probably be to grab some tools. He could handle that.

"Jooooooordan!" Tom called into the house, his pickaxe slung over his shoulder. He looked surprised to see the other out of bed. "Oh, you've finally gotten up. I've just enchanted this pickaxe and it is magnificent. What do you say we go mining?"

"I think I'm going to start small with the whole getting back to work thing." Jordan said. "I know it's only been a day, but it feels like it's been forever."

"No worries, mate." Tom assured. "These things happen. You can stay up here and I'll go find some diamonds. We gonna be rich by the time I'm back."

"I sure hope so." Jordan muttered as he grabbed some cobble out of the chest. "We don't have very much cobble, do we?"

"We don't?" Tom said. "I thought we had loads of it!"

"Apparently not." Jordan sighed. "At least I found a nice, easy task for myself."

Tom laughed. "Yeah, you've got that. I'm gonna head to the mines, be back soon."

"Alrighty." Jordan busied himself with searching every chest for even a piece of cobble, but he found little luck. He could only imagine how much he was going to have to gather and smelt in order to get the modern stone brick look he knew Tom preferred. It would certainly keep him occupied, and he was going to be exhausted by the end of the day. Still, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

Tom walked down the cobblestone staircase, the air around him becoming cooler and cooler as the light source changed to torches. He didn't have any particular reason for going mining; he just knew Jordan needed some time to sort things out. As a friend, that was the least he could do for the guy. Tom hadn't realized how crushed Jordan was by Sonja's death. He figured that the other was just having mood swings yesterday and today, not that he had been carrying the guilt of murder on his shoulders. Tom figure it was just a "in the wrong place at the wrong time" type of thing for Sonja, but Jordan was genuinely upset. Didn't he understand that they would see Tucker and Sonja again after they finished all the bosses?

Tom swung at some iron in frustration. He wanted to help Jordan, but he didn't know how. The man may have been back to work, but he certainly wasn't back to his full potential. Jordan was a man of intellect and complexity, not simple cobble mining. If only Tom could find a way to prove to him that he had not been the reason Sonja had died, that could solve everything! Alas, he had no way to do such a thing- he himself had not even been present at the event. With a heavy heart, Tom swung his pick back over his shoulder and continued down the mine, completely lost in thought.

Jordan mined what seemed like the millionth piece of cobble, his brain rotating between focusing on the task at hand and focusing on the events of earlier. He was trying his hardest to pay attention and not mess everything up, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering to Tom. Tom's reaction to his emotions, specifically. It was obvious his friend did not understand his feelings about the situation. He thought Jordan was joking when he first said it. Then after that...well, he'd tried to be understanding, but there was something about his tone that made him seem so _oblivious. _It was like he was trying to help someone get better iwithout knowing the diagnosis. Jordan appreciated the small effort he'd seen, but pity wasn't going to help him. Sonja alive would help him. Relief from his guilt would help him. Not going back to a Guardian Temple would probably have a positive impact, but that wasn't likely. Jordan sighed in frustration and mined yet another strip of cobble.

Maybe this was all he'd be good for forever. Tom would have to drag him along to the other two bosses, him just being a deadweight. Maybe Tom would find him to be too much of a burden and abandon him in hopes of getting back to Mianite by himself. Tom liked going solo, who was to say he wouldn't do it now? Jordan felt so hopeless, so alone. Why was he so upset over something so trivial? Tom was fine. Why couldn't he be fine?

Jordan bit his lip in frustration. He had been mining a piece of bedrock for the past minute, only managing to damage his pickaxe more. This, he thought, was the type of thing he was good at. Messing up even the simplest of tasks. Mining in a straight line and picking up cobble. Had he managed to get lost, too? He peered into his inventory. Somehow, he had acquired five stacks of cobble. Good enough, he figured. Now he only had to smelt it. He clambered back out of the mines, nearly tripping over the cobblestone stairs on his way out. Great, he thought to himself. Just great.

Tom opened the chest to put his diamonds in. He had managed to gather nearly half a stack while Jordan did whatever. _Not bad_, he thought to himself as he unpacked his various ores. He was just about to set down the stack of iron when his eyes caught something pink and shiny.

"Jordan?" He called, his voice showing his confusion.

"Tom, what is it?" The man entered the house and looked at the other, who was clearly unsure of something.

"Look at this." He motioned for Jordan to peer into the chest.

Jordan rolled his eyes. "If you're just going to emphasize the fact that you never smelt ores-"

"No!" Tom said. "How many regen pots did you have yesterday?"

"I don't want to talk about yesterday." Jordan mumbled, his personality returning to its shut-off self.

"Answer me." Tom prompted urgently. "How many?"

"One, I think." He responded wearily. "I don't know why this is necessary-"

"I had none because I had the golden apples, but look." Tom's hand grasped the cool glass vials and pulled them out of the chest. "Two extras."

"Which means what, exactly?" Jordan said in an exhausted voice, his mind not processing what Tom was saying.

"It means that these were Sonja's!" He exclaimed.

Jordan looked at Tom, his mouth opening in shock as he understood what the other was saying. "She could have saved herself?"

"It's not your fault, Jordan." Tom said soothingly.

A wave of relief rushed over Jordan and he pulled Tom into a hug. The other wavered slightly due to the sudden motion but made no effort to pull away. "Thank you, Tom." Jordan whispered happily into Tom's shoulder.

"Of course." Tom said as he patted Jordan's back. "Now, do you think you're ready to work for real?"

"I can try." Jordan beamed, a new attitude taking over his old one. "Hand me the good pickaxe, would you?"

Tom smiled in pride as he watched the other rush about the room. _You did good, Tom, _he thought. _You did good._

**So ye. Not much going on here. How's your life going? Good I hope. **

**~Scarlett**


	4. The Threat of Solitude

**I did the thing. Enjoy.**

A groan escaped Tom's throat as he felt warmth radiating onto his face. He slowly sat up in the bed, his arms reaching out to stretch his back and relieve him pain from uncomfortable sleeping positions. His hands reached down and patted the bed, searching for the body of the other man, but they were only met with cold bed sheets. Dazed by the early morning, he peered through one eyelid and looked around. Jordan was nowhere to be found. "Jordan?" He mumbled, his voice scratchy from lack of use. "Jordan..."

Tom desperately tried to recall the events of last night, hoping he wasn't forgetting a fight or something important. After he showed Jordan the regen pots, Jordan had insisted upon setting up the outline for the mob grinder. Tom helped out some, but after it got dark he dragged the other to bed against his will. That was it, wasn't it? He didn't remember doing anything to anger Jordan that could have caused him to run away. Besides, the other seemed much happier now that some of the guilt from Sonja's death was off his shoulders. Why would he have left?

Tom climbed out of bed and hobbled over to the chests, running his fingers through his messy blue hair. He'd have to go find Jordan now, wouldn't he? He didn't have any idea where to look, but it only seemed logical to bring weapons and armor in case. Tom pulled on his diamond armor pieces and grasped his sword, his fingers curling tightly around the blade. He wasn't sure what he'd have to face, but he'd do it to get to Jordan.

Another stream of sunshine hit his face as he walked outside. His eyes shut instinctively, blocking out the bright light. After a few seconds his eyes adjusted and he blinked rapidly, slowly allowing them to open. His blurry vision focused on a figure over by the mob grinder.

When did they get a mob grinder?

"Jordan?" Tom called cautiously, hoping he hadn't mistaken a zombie or skeleton for the man.

"Morning, Tom!" Jordan chirped as he filled in the front side of the building. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Tom tilted his head in confusion. This was the person who was moping around yesterday and blaming their friend's death on himself, no? "Jordan, are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fantastic!" Jordan gushed. "The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and the grass is a beautiful shade of green!"

Tom warily put a hand on Jordan's forehead. "You're warm. Are you sick?"

"I'm better than ever!" He insisted. "I felt bad about my lack of assistance, so I got up early and helped with this."

"Helped? You practically built the whole thing!" Tom exclaimed. "Listen, Jordan, I don't know what's up with you, but you don't need to be like this. It was 36 hours that you were gone. So what? We didn't even do anything important."

"I want to make it up to you." Jordan said. "Go take a day off, relax a little."

"But-"

"It's only fair." Jordan smiled and went back to his work, leaving Tom to examine this new person. Was Jordan genuinely thinking like this, or was he faking it? No one was truly that perky, Tom reasoned. Jordan needed to loosen up a little, and Tom knew exactly how to do it.

Jordan exhaled as the other walked away from him. This whole fake-it-until-you-make-it business was exhausting, but it was supposed to make him happier. The idea was that if Jordan acted super happy, he would eventually become super happy. It felt odd and fake, but it was all Jordan had to go off of for now.

His mood had improved considerably since Tom had revealed the true nature of Sonja's death. Jordan still felt responsible, but some of the burden lifted once he found out that Sonja could have saved herself. Still, that wasn't enough to cure all his problems. He was starting to feel a bit useless. Tom had survived perfectly fine for 36 hours of Jordan moping around. Did Tom even need him on the island?

_Happy, happy, happy, _he reminded. _Sun is shining, birds are chirping-_

"There aren't even birds on this stupid island!" He yelled suddenly, plopping onto the ground.

Tom perked up as he heard a slight echo from the surface. "What is Jordan doing up there?" He mumbled. Shrugging, he continued to climb down the stairs and formulate a plan. His eyes glanced up and he chuckled, noticing where he was. It would be oh-so-ironic if he did it here, a place that represented both a death and an inside joke. No, he wouldn't do that to Tucker. It would be disrespectful. He continued his quest all while laughing about episode three.

Jordan rolled onto his back and sighed. Why was he so angry about the distinct lack of birds? No, that wasn't it. The worries constantly plaguing his mind were the real problem here. This island was making him insane. Was he already insane? Maybe he had lost it days ago and no one was bothering to tell him. Could insane people even debate the matter of their sanity? These were all questions that Jordan truly wished he had the answers to.

He plucked a rose out of the ground and got to his feet. It had been a few weeks since Capsize had given him a rose back in the Realm of Mianite. She would've wanted him to keep working, he mused. Even though she was dead, she would've wanted Jordan to work hard and win for her. This rose was a sign of his victory in wooing her, after all- well, in a way. Regardless the rocky start to their short relationship, Jordan knew she would want him to continue on. He flung the rose behind his back and started forward again, determined to get something right.

Why had his thoughts gone to Capsize? Mianite was far beyond them- this was their new life now. Then again, it wasn't like Tom was going to encourage him with the promise of everlasting love and flowers. Jordan laughed at the thought. Tom, romantic? Sure, the man had flirted with Capsize, but that was only to spite Jordan. He was too flirty and open to be in any steady relationship that Jordan could picture. Tom liked excitement and movement, not the continuous and constant aspects life had to offer. Any girl he got in a relationship with had better keep him on his toes, or else they'd be gone.

Tom groaned and threw his pickaxe against a wall. There was nowhere dramatic to do this! If he was going to take the time to set this whole thing up, he had to do it well. Everything had to be perfect: location, position, lighting, and even the organization of ores on the wall. Jordan had better appreciate Tom's efforts to cheer him up and keep him from doing that creepy smiley thing. What was up with that anyways? No person was naturally that happy. Tom had come to two conclusions: either Jordan had discovered the recipe for cocaine while Tom was asleep, or he was trying to hide something with his smiles. The former was Tom's first reaction, but logic told him that Jordan would at least share said drugs if that was the case. That meant he was hiding something, and Tom had to cheer him up and get him to talk.

He looked around and sighed. There was no perfect location like he imagined! Alas, he supposed the stairs would have to do. He walked over to them and cleared his throat, ready to act to the best of his ability.

"Jordan, there's a lot of mobs down here." Tom called up in the most convincing voice possible.

"You'll be fine." Jordan shouted back, his voice a mere echo bouncing off the walls. The man went back to placing blocks, a smile crossing his face when he realized he had the perfect amount of brick to finish the wall._ Little victories, Jordan, _he thought. He stepped back and examined his work before allowing a small sigh to escape his lips. The half slabs were letting in too much light, so much that mobs would never spawn. His shoulders slumped as the realization of how much wall he'd have to tear down set in. He raised his pickaxe and approached the wall just as a sound rang through the air.

"Jordan!" A bloodcurdling scream shot out from the mines. Jordan gasped and dropped his pickaxe, immediately rushing over to where Tom had been before.

"Tom? Tom, are you alright?" Not hearing a response, Jordan sprinted down the cobble steps and leapt into the mines. His eyes squinted as they adjusted to the dark, constantly scanning for any signs of danger. He grabbed a torch and kept running downwards until he caught sight of something that made him get a lump in his throat.

"Tom?" He whispered in a strangled voice, collapsing onto his knees. There, sprawled across the steps, was the unmoving body of Tom. Laying next to him was some gunpowder, indicating he had fought a creeper of some sort. "Tom... Oh my goodness..." Jordan tried to hold back tears as images of Sonja's death flooded back to him, the situation seeming all too familiar. It seemed that each time someone died, their death got worse. Tucker's death wasn't gruesome, as sudden as it was. Sonja's was horrible but her body didn't stick around for long. Tom, however, was just laying here in the open. Jordan looked at the corpse with tears running down his cheeks. "Tom..."

He carefully took his friend's hand in his own. It was warm still, he noticed. Must've died a little bit after he yelled. Jordan sniffled and rest his head on Tom's chest, wiping away his tears with his non-occupied hand. "Tom, you shouldn't be dead right now. I shouldn't be alone." He whispered softly.

Jordan could hear a soft beating coming from somewhere, but he was too upset to notice. His body shook as he let himself cry a bit longer. Finally, he composed himself and sat up, wiping the tears from his eyes once again. He looked at the dead body and took a shaky breath. "Oh Tom...I didn't even get to say goodbye." He curled up in a ball against the wall.

Hot breath prickled against his neck. "It's a good thing you don't have to."

Tom watched as Jordan jumped and turned around, a look of utter shock and confusion on his face. "Tom? But you were...and the creeper...but you screamed..." Suddenly, the boy seemed to remember they were holding hands and blushed intensely. He separated their hands and looked back up at Tom, his face now blazing with anger. "How could you do this to me?"

"Calm down, mate!" Tom chuckled. "It was only a joke."

"Do I look amused?"

Tom looked at Jordan's tear-streaked faced and softened a bit, realizing he had messed up. "Why do you care so much? You didn't cry like this when Tucker and Sonja actually died."

"But that was different!" He snapped. "Sorry. It's just...you don't understand." He got to his feet and started pacing back and forth.

"Different how? We're all friends." Tom truthfully felt a bit guilty for making the boy feel this way. He never meant to make him stress out so much, only to bring a little bit of fun after he had been so upset.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just...I didn't want to be alone. That's it." Jordan clearly didn't want to reveal his actual reason, or maybe he wasn't quite sure himself.

"I'm sorry, mate. I never meant to make you upset." Tom said as sincerely as he could.

"It's okay. I'll be fine in a moment." Jordan took a deep breath and sank against the wall next to Tom. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Tom watched as Jordan tried to calm himself, his conscious arguing whether it would be too soon to try and comfort him. He was kind of adorable when he was upset, Tom decided, but now wasn't the time to notice such things. Cautiously, Tom reached out and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. Jordan didn't reject it, so Tom took that as a sign to wrap his arm around the other and move in closer. "I'm really sorry," he whispered, close enough to feel how cold Jordan had gone. Jordan rested his head on Tom's shoulder, his silence a haunting reply to Tom's apology.

**I'm really stressed out with school, but at least I wrote a halfway decent chapter! *cough if only I could update on time cough***

**~Scarlett **


	5. Two Can Play That Game

**Hey...I'm back a month later :( Sorry for being bad at updates, but on the bright side its only two weeks until finals are over and it's summer! For now, take this chapter that I wrote way longer than expected (seriously. It's 3,800 words vs my normal 1,500). Enjoy!**

Tom woke up against a cold, stone wall. He blinked rapidly as he tried to assess his surroundings before he remembered what happened yesterday. He had tried to prank Jordan, but Jordan had gotten upset and started panicking...he could only assume that they had both fallen asleep like this against the wall. Tom slowly turned his head to look at Jordan but found little success. The man had rested his head on Tom's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the others stomach, essentially trapping Tom until he woke up. He tried to pull Jordan's arm off of his chest but found no success. Sighing, he settled back against the wall. Should he be rude and wake Jordan up? He had no way of telling what time it was when they were down in the cave. The man needed his sleep after how stressed out he'd been, though. Tom took one last look at the sleeping figure and sunk back into a comfortable position. He had an inkling that he'd be here a while.

Jordan yawned and smacked his lips as he felt the feeling return to his limbs. It was awfully warm in his bed, he noticed. When did he get such a comfy pillow? He muttered something unintelligible and snuggled his head into the source of heat.

"Jordan." A distant voice said. This was an awfully smart talking pillow, Jordan noted. "Jordan? Jordan, wake up!"

Jordan groaned as he felt a shoulder hit his cheek. "Ouch." He mumbled. "Bad pillow."

"Jordan, would you get off me?"

Jordan opened his eyes and saw bright blue hair. He blinked once, a confused expression overcoming his face. "Where am I?" He groaned.

Tom sighed. "Well, we are currently sitting in a dark cave with you wrapping your arms around me, so that's a thing."

Jordan reddened and pushed himself away from Tom. "Sorry. Why are we here?"

Tom studied the man. "Do you not remember? Last night I pretended-" he stopped himself. Maybe reminding Jordan of his anger was not such a good idea.

Sure enough, Tom saw Jordan's eyes light up as he recalled what had happened. "You were dead." He breathed.

"I'm still alive, see? Nothing to worry about." Tom tried to keep Jordan in a calm state before he started panicking again. There was no need for that right now.

Jordan furrowed his eyebrows. "You tricked me." He remembered, reverting his attention to Tom. "Oh, you are so dead."

"No, no, Jordan, wait-" Tom sprung to his feet and backed away from the fuming man. "I never meant to hurt 'choo, boo."

"Stop with the nicknames. It wasn't funny." Jordan snapped.

"It was a little funny." Tom admitted.

"Maybe to you, but I thought my best friend and only surviving teammate was dead!"

"Glad to know you treasure my existence." Tom said sourly.

"You obviously don't return the favor. All you ever do is take advantage of me for your stupid pranks!" Jordan shouted.

"Five minutes into the day and we're already fighting." Tom sighed. "Listen, Sparkly-dick, if I disliked you would I spend all night sleeping down here comforting you? I even let you cuddle with me and do who-knows-what, and trust me, that is not something I do often."

"Well, fine, but just because you're nice doesn't mean you have the right to take advantage of me." Jordan mumbled.

"I'm truly sorry that the prank scared you." Tom said as genuinely as he could. "To be honest, I only did it to try and help your mental state from before. Guess that backfired, eh?" He chuckled lightly and wrapped his arm around Jordan's shoulder. "Smile, mate. Things'll be better today, I promise."

"Mhm." Jordan said, not really believing it.

"Aw, Jordan!" Tom nudged his arm. "You can't stay mad at me, can you?"

"Try me." Jordan muttered.

* * *

"Grabbing some lapis, enchanting a cool sword..." Tom sang to himself as he worked.

Jordan rolled his eyes. He really wanted to stay mad at the other, but every time he looked Tom was doing something cute or making a dumb face at him. It was difficult to remember why he was so angry in the first place, though he'd never tell Tom that. He may have lost his emotional stability, but he had no intentions of losing his pride.

He focused on brewing more of the strength pots that Tom had requested he make. If they intended to survive they needed to be able to kill everything as fast as possible. Tom wasn't as skilled as Jordan was in the potions-making department, so that left him to make every single brew they needed. It was tedious, but it was better than death.

"Jordan." Tom called out.

"I'm still mad at you." Jordan replied, grabbing some nether wart out of a chest.

"Jordan, how many hearts do you have?"

Jordan paused for a moment, his thoughts processing exactly what Tom was suggesting. "Don't do it." He muttered, his eyes looking for something to defend himself with.

"I enchanted this new sword- the Crispy Knockback-

"Don't you dare." He said loudly as his fingers wrapped around the cool glass of a swiftness potion.

"Come here, Jardon." Tom cooed, approaching the man. Jordan took one look at the shimmering iron sword and bolted out the door.

"Jordan! I'm gonna Crispy Knockback your dick off!" Tom called after him.

Jordan sprinted behind the house and towards the farm, the glass vial just barely touching his lips before it was knocked from his hands and he was pinned to the ground by the other. Tom wrapped his arms around him as they fell into a laughing pile in the grass, the green man easily overtaking his partner. He tossed his sword aside and started tickling Jordan.

"Tom- stop it-" Jordan choked out between giggles.

"You really can't stay mad at me, can you?" Tom purred in his ear.

"Something like that." Jordan said, remembering his anger from the day before and Tom's words that morning. He stopped fighting Tom's attack and laid still on the grass, his nails digging themselves into the dirt out of frustration.

Tom frowned at his friend's sudden mood change and rolled over to lay next to him. "Don't look so down, Jordan! It's a new day! And personally, I have the perfect plan for what to do."

"What would that be?" Jordan inquired.

"We need gold for a golden apple. So, I was thinking we-"

"No thank you." Jordan cut him off, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I have no intentions of going back there."

"I didn't even get to say it." Tom said sadly. "Listen, Jordan, if you fancy dying in the End that's your choice. I'd just prefer to survive."

Jordan looked at the man lying next to him and sighed. "Can't we mine for gold?"

"Do you want to spend the rest of eternity here with me?" Tom retorted. "We've got to pick up the pace a bit. Either we get the gold at the temple or perish in the End."

Jordan held his breath for a moment and examined the clouds, debating the positives and negatives of both. "Fine." He said after a while, releasing all the air he had been holding in. "But I'm still mad at you."

"Understandable." Tom said. He jumped up and offered Jordan a green hand. Jordan accepted and was pulled to his feet as well. "Now, are you ready to kick this monster's ass?"

"I'll never be ready." Jordan moaned.

"That's the spirit!" Tom cheered, completely ignoring what Jordan said. "Grab the water breathing pots and the boats and let's go!"

* * *

"You're so slow!" Tom whined as he sped ahead in his boat. The ocean had practically no resistance as he cut through the sparkling waters at prime speeds.

"You're so fast!" Jordan retorted. Sunlight shining in Tom's eyes made it difficult for him to see the man he was conversing with. He gave up and lurched forward, his eyes set on the platform he had made previously. If he could secure that and clear the surrounding area, he could guarantee both of their survivals with compete success. Captain Slowpants could take all the time in the world and they could still make it out alive.

"Good one, Tom." He muttered to himself as he docked at the small stone platform. A smile creeped across his face as he started placing down cobble to protect himself from guardians. Teasing Jordan always made him feel joy, whether they were back in Mianite or facing a life-threatening situation here. The man usually reacted in a way that made Tom laugh. It bugged him, Tom could tell, but not enough to have an impact on their friendship. He was content with riding that fine line until someone told him otherwise.

Jordan groaned as he saw Tom disappear into the mist. Of course he was abandoned. Tom was too impatient and too ignorant to care about Jordan's needs. He wanted to take things slow and careful, but the other had rushed as fast as he could and left him in the dust. Tom seemed to ignore all logic and planning, Jordan noted. The idea of doing something spontaneously made him want to hurl. Why act on impulse when you could precisely calculate every move and every occurrence beforehand?

Jordan's thoughts were stopped as something hit his boat, threatening to break the item in two. He sighed and moved his position to one which he could push himself towards the edge of the boat. His hands gripped the side as he pushed himself forward, his eyes scanning for any sign of the aggressor.

Jordan felt his whole body freeze up as a lump formed in his throat. A pair of beady eyes looked back at him with a haunting glance that made him stop in his tracks, their gaze teasing and taunting him. He gulped and tried to force his boat forward again but found himself unable to do so. What was wrong with him? It was just a guardian. Just a cruel, ruthless creature that murdered his friend before his very eyes. "Tom?" Jordan squeaked, realizing his voice was not functioning. He hadn't realized how dry his mouth was until now. Tom was a mere speck on the horizon from where Jordan was, anyways- he would never hear the cries for help. This was it. This was where he died.

Jordan looked at the creature with wide eyes, the both of them waiting for something to happen. Why hadn't it killed him yet? Why was it just peacefully staring at him, allowing him to sit in the ocean without a care in the world? If Jordan could move his arms he would consider attacking it. Without a strength pot it would be risky, but he would suffer a fate similar to Sonja if he just sat here. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before launching himself at the beast.

His sword cut through the monster with one slice, killing it as he pulled it out. Its corpse vanished into thin air, leaving Jordan panting and shocked. He stared at the weapon in awe. Had he just done that? He, the person who wasn't capable of functioning for the past two days? He smiled to himself, allowing the pride to overcome him, before frowning. Why couldn't he have done that for Sonja? Why was he only able to pull stunts when his own life was in danger? He was a terrible friend. What would happen if Tom were in danger? Would he freeze up then, too? He was such a useless teammate. Who needed someone who's only skills were building and panicking?

"Jordan!" Tom called out as he saw a speck coming closer to him. "I've set up the platform so that all we need to do is dive in, grab the gold, and get back out."

"Can I have a moment?" He asked, his voice noticeably faint. _Was he really that tired from boating? _Tom wondered. Jordan didn't seem like the type that would be challenged by exercise, but Tom didn't know his life.

"I suppose. Do you have the pots?"

"Yeah- yeah, somewhere." He stuttered as he edged towards the middle of the platform. Tom frowned. _What was his problem?_

The man waited for a minute before growing impatient. "Could I have some?" He said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh." Jordan looked over at Tom and at the edge before slowly reaching into his bag and pulling out three pots.

"Did you forget how to walk?"

Jordan stopped for a moment. "No, it's just-"

"Dammit, Jordan, what's wrong with you!" Tom shouted suddenly, marching over to the man.

Jordan fearfully glanced at the water. "It's the guardians."

"You're afraid of some stupid guardians with lasers?" Tom laughed. "Man up, would you?"

Jordan felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest. Why was Tom acting like this? Didn't he realize what he was saying? He certainly wasn't being this rude earlier, being that he was trying to earn Jordan's approval again. "The guardians. They- they killed Sonja-" Jordan tried again.

Tom stopped his chuckling. "You're still upset about that, eh? You need to toughen up and face your fears!"

"But what if one of us dies-" Jordan feared.

"Neither of us will die." Tom assured.

Jordan frantically looked for a piece of wood to knock on but found nothing. He gulped. "You've jinxed it. We're gonna die."

Tom rolled his eyes. "This has gone on for too long. Don't take these next few decisions personally, Sparkles."

"What-" Jordan choked out before Tom shoved a glass vial into his mouth. Bitter liquid dribbled down his throat before a rough hand pushed him headfirst into the pulsing waters below. Jordan flailed as he tried to find his sense of balance, but he felt himself being pulled somewhere else by something on his hand. He struggle against it to no prevail. His body was dragged in some unknown direction as he kicked blindly, hoping to hit the beast. His foot made impact and he kicked again.

"Stop doing that!" Tom ordered, his voice slightly audible from the water breathing potions. Jordan stopped kicking and slowly allowed his eyes to adjust to the ocean. Tom had swam them both through the guardians and to the temple, bringing them to a safe corner they had created previously.

"Why did you bring me here?" Jordan panicked. "I can't do it. I can't go back." He looked down the hallway and saw creatures swimming back and forth, all prepared to take his life in an instant.

"It's for your own good." Tom assured. His eyes scanned the man from top to bottom and a feeling of pity washed over him. "Are you alright?"

"No." Jordan muttered. "Can we get this over with so I can go mourn Sonja again?"

"I'll stick with you the whole time." Tom promised. "I won't leave your side unless you tell me to."

"Mhm." Jordan replied, ignoring Tom's efforts and shutting down as usual.

Tom offered his hand. "Ready, then?"

Jordan sighed. "Not at all."

* * *

"C'mon, Jordan, keep up!" Tom urged.

Jordan swam forward grudgingly, an uneasy feeling still gripping his chest. Everywhere he turned he could see the events of that day as if he were actually there. The worst of it was when he saw the hallway where Sonja had died. Vivid images of her last words being said had flashed before his eyes, but Tom had angrily pulled him forward before he could see the final blow. Jordan was afraid to enter the hallway again. Though he'd never admit it to Tom, the flashbacks scared him. If they didn't need gold so badly he might've told Tom he couldn't come back here. Tom kept telling him to face his fears, but it was difficult. Every time something reminded him of Sonja he froze up and lost control of his limbs. It was like his subconscious decided that if it had anything to do with her, Jordan would have nothing to do with it.

"Hurry!" Tom called through the hole in the ceiling. Jordan shut his eyes painfully as the hallway came into view and swam upwards, allowing the slight current to carry him out. He returned to Tom's side and let his muscle relax slightly. The other man seemed to notice his tension and frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

Jordan looked at him like he was insane. "Have you even been paying attention to what I've been saying?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "Is this about your fears?"

Jordan felt his throat catch from the reaction. "Yeah, actually-"

"Jeez, Jordan, lighten up for once. Is wallowing in your own sorrow really going to make you better?"

Jordan tightened his jaw to keep from replying angrily. He'd never seen Tom be so insensitive in all the time he'd known the man. His eyes glanced up and saw the surface nearing them, but his chest started to close up right before he reached it._ My potion must've run out,_ he noted. He broke the surface and coughed as the small bits of water he had breathed in fell back into the water.

"Do we have boats?" Tom asked. Jordan shook his head curtly, not feeling Tom deserved a response. Tom shrugged and placed down a crafting table, leaving Jordan with his thoughts. He had to get Tom back, but how? All he was good for was panicking and choking on water.

An idea popped into Jordan's mind, and he straightened up. The corner of his lips curled upwards into a smirk. This would show Tom what it was like to see your best friend die. He gulped the water breathing potion and dove back underwater, preparing himself for the acting that was about to come.

"Tom!" Jordan called out, his voice muffled by the water. Tom turned to look at him and frowned. The man was doing an awkward thrashing motion that made him look like a dog chasing a butterfly. He flailed for a moment before going rigid, his body floating slowly up to the surface.

"Really, Jordan..." Tom muttered, knowing exactly what he was doing- rather, trying to do. "Oh no, poor Jordan has drowned!" He called out in mock surprise. He rolled his eyes and swam over to the man, his head bobbing above surface to talk to him clearly. "Very funny. You can't troll the master troll, though. Let's get back to that island, yeah?"

Jordan lay still, his face still under the water as he did some sort of float on his stomach. His only response was a few bubbles that danced to the surface lazily.

"I can see your air bubbles. Stop it, Jordan." Tom said, his patience growing smaller. That got no reaction from the man. "No response, hmm?" Tom impatiently poked Jordan's side with the hilt of his sword. "Jor. Dan. Stop. Playing. Dead." He said with each poke. No response. Tom tilted his head and grinned as he thought of a way to get Jordan to react. "Well, I guess I'll just leave you here with all the monsters in the Guardian Temple. You know, the ones who killed Sonja? It'd be a shame if either you or me were to die because we were all alone...It'd be all your fault. I guess I'll leave you to it, then."

Tom paddled away for a few feet before turning back. Aside from the shifting of the waves, Jordan had not moved. "Dammit Jordan!" Tom shouted, swimming back over to him. "I swear, I have to do everything on this goddamn island." He hoisted Jordan's arm over his shoulder and pushed his way through the water towards the shore of a small island nearby. Dragging both of their bodies onto the beach, he collapsed into a pile and panted heavily. "Fuck you." He breathed, a grin crossing his face. "When we get back to Mianite I'm going to have the gods rain so much vengeance on you."

"Why can't you believe anything you see?" A muffled voice said, the sand blocking most of the sound.

"You can't troll the master!" Tom exclaimed. He looked at the soaking wet man with pity and patted his back. "Don't worry. Someday you'll mildly surprise someone with your pranks."

"Screw you." Jordan moaned and rolled onto his back, deciding that his efforts to show Tom his pain would have to wait for another day. "We have to kill a dragon tomorrow, don't we?"

"You still owe me feather falling." Tom reminded. "That's a problem for tomorrow, though. Let's just spend the night here, under the stars."

"How romantic." Jordan said sarcastically.

"After what happened with Capsize, I've gotta treat you right, okay?" Tom chuckled. "Temporary pirate lover at your service."

"Do you even know how to sail a ship?"

"Um..." Tom debated this. "There's a steering wheel on it, right?"

"You're hopeless." Jordan shook his head.

Tom looked at the man and felt his chest fill up with warmth. That...was certainly new. He felt like he should reach out and hug Jordan, but not in the friendly way he had been feeling since they met. This was a different type of feeling, and though Tom didn't know what it was, he sure felt great when they were laying right next to each other. He still noticed something was missing, though. He was longing for something, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what.

Emotions were a problem for after the dragon. Sleep was a problem for now.

**That was a pretty lengthy chapter. Every time I went to write it I had a different idea for Jordan's ideas on how Tom was acting, so editing it all together was certainly a process :3 Next chapter is representative of day 27, and you know what that means...**

_***whispers* the creation of syndisparklez**_

**~Scarlett, aka Syndisparklez trash  
**


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